Revised May 12, 2016; last revised August 24, 2026
These words are often confused. These are key Dhamma concepts, and one needs to sort them out to understand other key concepts like rebirth and Paṭicca Samuppāda. Please read the post, “What is “San”? – Meaning of sansāra (or Samsara),” before reading this post.
Kamma Done via Abhisaṅkhāra
1. “Puññābhi saṅkhāra, apuññābhi saṅkhāra, āneñjābhi saṅkhāra ayaṃ vuccathi avijjā paccayā saṅkhāra“. This is how the short verse of “avijjā paccayā saṅkhāra” in akusala-mūla Paṭicca samuppāda is explained in detail.
- Thus, only abhisaṅkhāra (“abhi” means higher or stronger), i.e., saṅkhāra with avijjā, leads to rebirth. For example, breathing or walking involves kāya saṅkhāra and speaking to someone involves vaci saṅkhāra. None of those are abhisaṅkhāra and do not lead to the kamma generation.
- Note that puññaābhi saṅkhāra is puñña+abhisaṅkhāra, and similarly, the other two are also abhisaṅkhāra. Also, “apuñña” means immoral,” puñña” means moral, and “ānenja” means “higher jhānic.” All three modes lead to rebirth in one of the 31 realms (lowest four realms with apuññābhi saṅkhāra, realms 5 through 27 with puññaābhi saṅkhāra, and realms 28 through 31 with aneñjabhi saṅkhāra, respectively).
- Thus, any abhisaṅkhāra is done with ignorance (avijjā, or not knowing the real characteristics of this world of 31 realms: anicca, dukkha, anatta).
- However, as we will see below, we do need to accumulate puñña abhisaṅkhāra (puññaābhisaṅkhāra) strategically, mainly to avoid rebirth in the apāyās (lowest four realms) until we attain Nibbāna.
2. As we saw above, “sañ” is what one acquires when one does anything with sancētana (“sañ” + “cētana”). saṅkhāra (sañ+kāra) is simply actions that lead to acquiring “sañ.” However, it is only “abhisaṅkhāra” or saṅkhāra that arises through avijjā that can lead to rebirth. There is a difference between saṅkhāra and abhisaṅkhāra:
- When deeds are done to live in this world, one has to do saṅkhāra. They become abhisaṅkhāra when they are done with greed, hate, and/or ignorance. saṅkhāra becomes abhisaṅkhāra when one starts generating further thoughts (“wheeling process”) about the sense experiences (pictures, sounds, tastes, etc.); see #9 on “Nibbāna – Is It Difficult to Understand?“.
- Thus an Arahant does saṅkhāra to live; even breathing is kāya saṅkhāra. But the Arahant has stopped the “wheeling process” or formed an attachment to what is seen, heard, etc. That “wheeling process,” detailed in the Paṭicca Samuppāda section, is sustained by abhisaṅkhāra.
- When saṅkhāra involve rāga, dosa, or moha, they are called “abhisaṅkhāra” or “strong saṅkhāra,” which can lead to rebirths.
- However, in many suttas, saṅkhāra refers to abhisaṅkhāra. We need to see that based on the context.
3. Abhisaṅkhāra are three kinds, as mentioned above:
- Some actions lead to bad consequences during life and also to bad rebirths in the four lowest realms (apāyās). These are “apuññābhi saṅkhāra” or immoral deeds: apuñña abhi sañ khāra.
- Actions that lead to good consequences in life and good rebirths are called “puññaābhi saṅkhāra” or meritorious deeds; these lead to birth in good realms (human, Deva, and the Brahma), thus avoiding rebirth in bad realms where one could get trapped for many eons. Thus, it is important to accumulate puññaābhi saṅkhāra: puñña abhi sañ khāra.
- When one cultivates “lōkiya jhānā” or mundane higher meditative states (arūpa jhāna leading to rebirth in the highest four arūpa lōka realms), via breath meditation, for example, one can be reborn in the four higher Brahma worlds. These also prolong sansāra, and are called “āneñjābhi saṅkhāra“: āneñja abhi sañ khāra.
- Notably, “āneñja” means “no more rebirths” and thus “permanent”: ancient yogis (including Alara Kalama and Uddakarama Putta) thought these realms had infinite lifetimes and equated births there with the “ultimate release.” Of course, the Buddha discovered that those also have finite lifetimes, even though extremely long, lasting eons (billions of years). That is how the term came to be associated (incorrectly) with “āneñjābhi saṅkhāra.” But that is how it is used even in the Tipiṭaka. “Paṭiccasamuppāda Vibhaṅga” explains the step “avijjā paccayā saṅkhāra” as, “Tattha katame avijjā paccayā saṅkhārā? Puññābhisaṅkhāro, apuññābhisaṅkhāro, āneñjābhisaṅkhāro.”
- Here, those yogis can temporarily suppress all desires for kāma lōka and rupa lōka existences. However, since they had not comprehended the anicca nature, they still have “hidden avijjā” or “avijjā anusaya.”
4. Therefore, it is easy to remember abhisaṅkhāra as those actions that lead to prolonging sansāra (or samsāra), the cycle of rebirths. There is a “latent energy” produced by each such action (abhisaṅkhāra) that will give fruit later.
- Such “actions” can be done via the mind, speech, or the body; these lead to manō saṅkhāra, vaci saṅkhāra, and kāya saṅkhāra, respectively. The “defiled actions” are abhisaṅkhāra.
5. Does this mean one should not do meritorious deeds (with puññaābhisaṅkhāra) because those also prolong sansāra? No. The Buddha emphasized that one should not shy away from doing meritorious deeds.
- But one must avoid wishing for “things in return” for such meritorious deeds as much as possible because such thoughts are based on greed.
- In the Abhidhamma language, one should generate “ñāna sampayutta, somanassa sahagata citta” (thoughts generated with wisdom and joy), which is the highest moral (sobhana) citta. Here wisdom means comprehension of the true nature; it starts with getting rid of 10 micchā diṭṭhi and then grows as one understands anicca, dukkha, and anatta to higher levels. Wisdom culminates at the Arahant stage.
- Any good deed will have good consequences whether one wishes it or not. By wishing for “material things” or “jhānic pleasures,” one turns a meritorious action into either a less potent “ñāna vippayutta” (devoid of wisdom) moral citta or even an apuññābhi saṅkhāra. We will discuss that below.
Kamma (Actions to Prolong Sansāra)
6. Kammic energy is generated when one turns saṅkhāra to abhisaṅkhāra by the “wheeling process”; see above. For example, when one sees an object that is just saṅkhāra due to a kamma vipāka. However, if one then starts thinking about how good it is, or how to acquire it, then it becomes abhisaṅkhāra; here, one now has INTENTIONS about that object; one hopes to get something in return.
- That is why the Buddha said, “cētanaham Bhikkhave kammaṃ vadami,” i.e., “I say that intention is kamma.”
- So it is important to remember that kamma is intention, and even though it can be done by the mind, speech, or body, all those have their root in mind. We cannot say or do anything without the arising of a thought to do so (see the Abhidhamma section for details).
- For example, the intention to go for a walk is a kamma that has no power to generate a good or bad vipāka in the future. That kamma will only get that task done.
7. Thus the key to Nibbāna is to stop valuing and thinking about kāma assāda (sensory pleasures; āsvāda in Sinhala). This cannot happen until one sees the fruitlessness of sensory pleasures in the long run (anicca, dukkha, anatta); see the section “Assāda, Ādīnava, Nissarana“.
Kamma Bīja (Kamma Seeds) or Kamma Bhava
8. When a kamma (abhisaṅkhāra) is committed, the kammic potential of that kamma is deposited in a kamma bīja (kamma seed); a kamma seed is NOT a physical entity; it is an “energy” or “potential” to bring about an effect in the future. It can also be called a “kamma bhava.”
- A kamma seed can be compared to a regular seed, for example, a seed of an apple tree. The potential to bring about a fully grown apple tree is in the apple seed. However, if the seed is kept in a dry place with no contact with soil, it does not get to germinate. It will germinate if placed under the soil and fed with water and nutrients. Then it can grow into an apple tree, yielding a thousand more seeds.
- Similarly, a kamma seed has the POTENTIAL to germinate or come to fruition if suitable conditions appear; but a kamma seed is an energy lying below the suddhashtaka stage. It can then yield results with an impact corresponding to the original deed (this holds for both good and bad). Results are kamma vipāka; see, “What is Kamma? – Does Kamma determine Everything?“
- It is also possible to remove many of one’s bad kamma seeds. When we acquire a “bad kamma seed,” we get indebted to another being. Just like one can be debt-free by paying off existing loans, one can “payback” old debts that have been accumulated in the cycle of rebirths by “transferring merits” when one does good deeds and also by doing the Ariya Metta Bhavana; see, “Transfer of Merits (Pattidāna)- How Does that Happen?” and “5. Ariya Metta Bhavana (Loving Kindness Meditation)“.
9. Nothing in this world is permanent (but that impermanence is not anicca); kammic energy in a kamma seed also eventually loses its power, and the “staying power” depends on the strength of the particular kamma. For example, those seeds corresponding to “ānantariya akusala kamma,” such as killing one’s parents or an Arahant, will bring fruits without delay (i.e., in the very next birth) before they lose their power.
Kamma vipāka (Results of a Kamma Seed or Kamma Bhava)
10. So it is essential to distinguish between kamma and kamma vipāka: the first is the action, and the second is the consequence. When someone laments, ‘This is my kamma,’ when he/she faces a bad situation, they mean that this happens “because of what I had done in the past.” It is not a kamma, but a kamma vipāka.
When one does something good or bad, kammic energy is deposited as a kamma bīja (seed), also called a kamma bhava. That kammic energy can give rise to kamma vipāka in the future when suitable conditions materialize. There are two ways to avoid kamma vipāka:
- Like a seed will not germinate until the right conditions appear (soil, water, sunlight), kamma vipāka cannot materialize until suitable conditions appear. Thus, by acting mindfully (not getting into “bad situations”), one can avoid them; see, “Annantara Samanantara paccayā.”
- Most importantly, we can remove many kamma seeds by doing Metta Bhavana. When we acquire a bad kamma seed, we become indebted to another being; we can get rid of that kamma seed by paying off that debt. The best way to do that is to ask for forgiveness and transfer the merits of one’s good deeds to all beings (since we have become indebted to an uncountable number of beings); see “Kamma, Debt, and Meditation.”
Kamma vipāka (from the germination of seeds) leads to two main consequences:
- They can lead to consequences during a lifetime (either the present or a future life). These are called “pavutti kamma bhava“.
- Some strong kamma vipāka give rise to new existence (in the rebirth process). These are called “uppatti kamma bhava.”
11. In either case, kamma vipāka is NOT deterministic. Both types can be reduced in strength or even be made ineffective. This can be done in several ways:
- When one becomes an Arahant, since there is no more rebirth, all kamma seeds that do not get to come to fruition before the death of an Arahant become ineffective in producing a rebirth: Because an Arahant has removed avijjā, the “akusala-mūla Paṭicca samuppāda cycle” becomes ineffective and thus “bhava paccayā jāti” does not get to initiate a new birth.
- However, even an Arahant is subjected to any kamma vipāka that gets a chance to emerge during the current life, especially the strong ones. Even the Buddha suffered physical pain in the last years of his life. Even if one transfers merits to other beings (as Arahants do) if the other being cannot accept those merits, then those debts do not get paid off; see “Transfer of Merits (Pattidāna) – How Does it Happen?“. Thus even the Buddha had a few “unpaid debts” left.
- We all have done innumerable kamma in this long samsāra. Thus, many kamma seeds are waiting to “bear fruit” under the right conditions. This is a crucial point one needs to digest. Just like a seed can lie dormant for long times and germinate only under the right conditions (soil, water), a kamma vipāka bears fruit only when the conditions are right.
- Thus, most kamma vipāka can be suppressed and avoided (not letting them germinate) by acting with mindfulness (yōniso manasikara). This is where a calm mind helps. An agitated mind is not able to make rational decisions. See “Key to Calming the Mind.” Working on the Five Hindrances (panca nivarana) that cover the mind is essential.
How to do Meritorious Deeds without accumulating Abhisaṅkhāra
12. Most people, even born Buddhists, do not get this right. They think Nibbāna can be attained by just doing meritorious deeds. Here are some key points to consider:
- One needs to avoid apuññābhi saṅkhāra (unmeritorious deeds) that will lead to bad life events and/or rebirths, i.e., the four lower realms; see “The Grand Unified Theory of the Dhamma.” They are “akusala” by definition, but ones of the worst kind; these are called “pāpa” in Pāli and Sinhala and “paw” (rhymes like “cow”) in Sinhala. One needs to avoid this in leading a moral life; see “Moral Living.”
- Puññābhi saṅkhāra (meritorious deeds) may be accompanied by apuññābhi saṅkhāra if one’s intention is not good. If one does a good deed AND wishes for something in return, that wishing is done with greed. Any good deed WILL produce good results whether one wishes it or not. They lead to good life events and good rebirths (at or above the human realm). Thus puññaābhi saṅkhāra can help in pursuing Nibbāna and should be done without greedy intentions. A Sōtapanna automatically does meritorious deeds with such understanding. Thus, the Aryan way is to do a good deed and share its merits with all beings instead of wishing for something in return.
13. Thus, one needs to be careful here because one may be acquiring apuññābhi saṅkhāra at the same time. This is a bit complex and is best illustrated with an example. Suppose one donates a meal to a hungry person. That act inherently produces a good outcome. However, if the person “makes a wish” such as “may I get delicious food in the future because of this good deed,” that is a greedy thought, a greedy intention (cētana). Thus, while this does not negate the good deed, it also could produce ANOTHER kamma vipāka leading to bad life events.
- This pitfall can be avoided by doing a good deed with pure intention not associated with greed, hate, or ignorance. One gives a meal to a hungry person out of compassion to quench the hunger. That is all. Here one does not lose any possible benefits of the act.
- When one starts comprehending anicca (that one cannot maintain anything to one’s satisfaction over the long run), one AUTOMATICALLY stops wishing for “good things.”
- Furthermore, one can reap more benefits by additionally doing a mental act to quench the potential of previous bad kamma seeds. This is called “giving of merits” or “pattidāna,” which is often mislabelled as “puñña anumōdana“; see “Punna Kamma – Dāna, Sīla, Bhāvanā.” One could wish that the merits of this good deed be shared with all other beings. Thus, sharing the merits becomes a “visaṅkhāra” or “unwinding the power of the previous saṅkhāra.” This is thus one way to lessen the impact of previous bad kamma vipāka.
- The Buddha said that one always needs to do good, meritorious deeds. Giving is especially encouraged. One could turn these deeds into visaṅkhāra by sharing the merits. By the way, sharing merits does not remove any possible good outcomes for oneself. Those were already acquired in the original act itself. The key here is not to wish for “profits in return,” because such thoughts are associated with greed (of course, sheer willpower cannot stop them until one comprehends anicca).
14. The third kind of abhisaṅkhāra, “āneñjābhi saṅkhāra,” is associated with higher (arūpavacara) jhānic states attained via Samatha Bhavana, such as breathing meditation or kasina meditation. They are pursued to achieve higher meditative states and thus are pursued with greedy thought (pleasure).
- These meditation techniques do not help cleanse the āsavā; see “Samsaric Habits and Āsavas” and “The Way to Nibbāna – Removal of Āsavā.”
15. Jhānic states may be attained automatically when pursuing Nibbāna (not anāriya jhānā but Ariya jhānā). The goal here is to achieve Nibbāna; thus, no saṅkhāra are accumulated in this process. This raises another question: Is seeking Nibbāna another craving (āsava)?
- Nibbāna is attained via removing craving for everything in this world: “rāgakkhayō Nibbānan, Dōsakkhayō Nibbānan, Mōhakkhayō Nibbānan.”
- Kusala kamma means to cultivate the Noble Eightfold Path to remove the root causes of rāga, dosa, and moha from the mind; for details, see “Kamma Nirodha – How Does It Happen?“
- “Craving” for Nibbāna is called chanda (one of The Four Bases of Mental Power (Satara Iddhipada). This “liking for Nibbāna” is the key factor that fuels the other three: viriya (effort), citta (thoughts), and vīmaṁsā (investigations).
- Thus, in seeking Nibbāna, one is not craving anything in this world. One is thinking and working diligently to comprehend the world’s true nature (vīmaṁsā), and with that wisdom gained, the mind automatically gives up craving for worldly pleasures.
kāya, Vaci, and manō saṅkhāra
16. Sankhāra can lead to body movements, speech, and thoughts; they are respectively called kāya, vaci, and manō saṅkhāra. If those are not done with greed, hate, or ignorance, they are merely saṅkhāra. But if they are done with greed, hate, or ignorance, they become abhisaṅkhāra.
- See the post, “Sankhāra – What It Really Means,” for a detailed description.
17. Briefly, manō saṅkhāra are automatically generated based on our gati. All our thoughts that make body parts move (except speech) are kāya saṅkhāra. Vaci saṅkhāra are generated when we move our mouth, lips, tongue, etc., to speak.
- When we think about doing something, we “play it out” in our mind (for example, reciting something silently in our mind). That is also vaci saṅkhāra and are called vitakka and vicāra; when we think and contemplate Dhamma concepts, they are savitakka and savicara, with the prefix “sa” denoting “good.”
- Thus “talking to oneself” is done with vaci saṅkhāra; see “Correct Meaning of Vacī Sankhāra.”
- manō saṅkhāra are feelings (vēdanā) and perceptions (saññā) that arise automatically due to a sensory input that comes via a kamma vipāka.
18. Thus, it is clear that most enjoyments that we experience come through vaci saṅkhāra. We can sit quietly in one place and generate enormous amounts of vaci saṅkhāra, thoroughly enjoying the experience (not realizing we are accumulating bad kamma). Most people do this when they go to bed at night while waiting to fall asleep.
- It is a good idea to try to keep the mind away from defiled thoughts while falling asleep; this can be done by getting into the habit of thinking about a Dhamma concept, or listening to the chanting of a sutta (pirith), keeping the volume low (like playing background music); see “Sutta Chanting (with Pāli Text).” It will be easier to fall asleep and sleep more restfully, too.
For more details, see “Kamma are Done with Sankhāra – Types of Sankhāra. “
